Current-motor.



PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

J. RAUSGRRR. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2Z, 1904.

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PATENTED JAN. 16 1906.

J. RAUSCHRR.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2Z, 1904.

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CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED 11111.22, 1904.

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XW/:1711656 662 Lyra-750W UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

' CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application iiled March Z2, 1904. Serial No. 199,488.

To all whom, it may concer-71,:

Be it known that I, JOHN RAUsoI-inn, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCurrent-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in current-motors, and has for itsobject simplicity of construction together with effectiveness 1n use.

A further object is greater efficiency coupled with a minimum amount offriction in operation.

To these ends my invention consists of thev features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved current-motor.Fig.A 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front view, and Fig. 4is a perspective view, of one of the paddles and links.

In the drawings let A represent a boat by which the parts of my improvedcurrent-motor are carried. This boat is formed with an opening 2 and atrough 3 below said opening, through which the paddles B are moved bythe current of water. The front end of the trough is formed with a mouthO, the sides 4 and floor 5 of which iiare outwardly for the purpose ofdirecting the current of water into the trough. The bow G of the boatand the front edge 6 of said floor are wedge-shaped. Vertical shutters 7are adapted to slide up and down between the guides 8 on the bow for thepurpose of regulating the quantity of water passing into the trough.Each shutter is provided with a rack 9. A series of guards 1() arepositioned back of the shutters for the purpose of preventing anymaterial entering the trough which would be liable to clog the motormechanism to be hereinafter described. The shutters and guards arearranged in rows adjoining the front edges of the floor, as shown inFig. 2, and shafts 1,1 are journaled on supports 12 back of each row ofshutters. Pinions 13, which are feathered on the shafts, may be moved tomesh with any rack on the back of the shutters. By

turning the handles 14 on the shafts any shutter may be raised orlowered, as desired. A dog 15 back of each rack may be thrown intoengagement therewith for the purpose of holding its correspondingshutter in adjusted position.

The motor mechanism consists as follows: Positioned on the upper edge ofthe wall 16, surrounding the opening 2 in the boat, is a shifting frameor support D, which is for the purpose of permitting the motor mechanismto be raised to allow any debris which might collect on the paddles tobe carried by the current of water through the trough. The frame D isconnected to the side wall 16 by means of the bolts 17, which passvertically and loosely through the openings 18 in the shifting frame D.This construction is a means of safety to prevent the paddles or otherparts breaking. Transverse shafts 19 and 2() are journaled in theshifting frame D and carry pairs of wheels 21 and 22. These wheels areformed with flat segmental peripheries 23, around which the chains Epass. These chains are composed of links 24, which are pivoted togetherat 25. The peripheries 23 engage the links and drive the chainscontinuously around the wheels. Each link shown in Fig. 4 is a bar 26having a split end 27, which admits the opposite end23 of the adjoininglink. The ends of the links are provided with openings 29, through whichthe pivots 25 pass. Each bar has a bracket 30 on its side, to which thepaddle B is attached by the bolts 31 in inclined position, as shown inFig. 1. The frames and bars on each pair of links are braced by means ofthe transverse rods 32. The paddles B correspond in length and widthsubstantially with the dimension across the trough, so that the fullpower of the current of water passing through the trough is transmittedto the motor mechanism. Transmission mechanism F is connected with themotor mechanism for the purpose of conveying the power generated by themotor mechanism to 'a countershaft 33. This transmission mechanismconsists of sprockets 34 and 35, respectively on the shaft 2O andcounter-shaft 33, and a chain 36, which engages the teeth on saidsprockets. The counter-shaft 33 carries a fly-wheel 37 and is journaledupon the supports 38, which are fastened by bolts 39 to the roof 40,carried by the boat. An idle sprocket 41 meshes with the links of thechain 36 and is swung from the bearing 42 on said roof by means of thearms 43 for the purpose of taking up the slack of the chain ivfheril themotor mechanism and frame D are ite IlO

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is-

1. A device of the class set forth, consisting of a boat, an opening insaid boat, a trough below said opening, the mouth of which has sides anda loor which flares downwardly, vertical shutters sliding in the bow ofthe boat to close the mouth of said trough, a rack on each shutter, ashaft adjoining said shutters, a shifting pinion feathered on said shaftand adapted to engage the racks on the shutters, means for turning saidshaft, and dog mechanism back of said racks. 4

2. A device of the class set forth, consisting of a boat, an opening insaid boat, a trough below said opening, a mouth at one end of saidtrough, means for modifying the size of said mouth, wheels in saidopening, a wall surrounding said opening, a shifting frame, on saidwall, on which said wheels are journaled, means for permitting saidframe to rise vertically, chains passing around the peripheries of saidwheels, each link of which consists of a bar having a split endadmitting the opposite end of the corresponding' link, a ivot throughthe connecting ends of said links and a bracket on each bar, paddlesattached to said brackets in inclined position and corresponding'substantially in width and length with the transverse dimensions of saidtrough, transverse brace-rods between said links, power-transmittingmechanism connected with said wheels, and means for taking up the slackof said mechanism when the frame on which the wheels are journaled movesupward.

3. A device of the class set forth, consistingof a boat, an opening insaid boat, a

JOHN RAUSCHER.

Witnesses:

PETER ZIEGLER, F. G. BRADBURY.

